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FROM OUR VERY GOOD FRIEND RALPH GOONAN! WANT TO WRITE A LETTER ON PAULS BEHALF? HERE’S HOW!!

I sent this letter yesterday to Blake Farenthold and forwarded it to several friends in my network for them to send to their own representatives. In case you need a pre-written letter to pass on to your friends, feel free to use this one. Let them know they can look up the contact info for their own representatives at http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ ——–

I understand that members of Congress rarely receive constituent letters that express anything other than a complaint. I wish this letter were different. Please know that I certainly sympathize with how you must constantly listen to gripes and complaints from the citizens you represent. I thank you for your time and attention.

My good friend Paul Klemm of Portland, Texas, is a 10-year Navy veteran. His time of service included operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He served his country with honor and distinction. A native of Ohio, his Navy service took him around the world and ended with an assignment to Naval Station Ingleside. He remained in the area after his service, working as a financial expert, real estate agent, and as an amateur and semi-professional musician.

In 2011 he was diagnosed with ampullary cancer, a rare form of cancer whose victims are usually in their 70s (Paul is in his mid-40s). With the economic downturn forcing him out of the real estate business, his insurance with Veterans Affairs was his only coverage. The VA covered his initial treatments and surgeries, but eventually all treatment regimens approved by the Food and Drug Administration were exhausted with no improvement. Clinical trials are now his only hope for survival.

MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is willing to consult with Mr. Klemm and likely take him on as a patient. However, the VA is refusing to cover non-FDA-approved treatments. MD Anderson is now requiring Mr. Klemm to pay for any consultation and ensuing treatments up front, out of his own pocket. According to his most recent correspondence with MD Anderson, the consultation alone would cost over $14,000. The treatment cost will likely dwarf that amount.

It is appalling that a veteran like Mr. Klemm who served with such distinction would be denied VA coverage for treatments that may very well save his life. On the medical front, there is still hope. There may be several clinical trials being conducted at MD Anderson that could prove successful. Money seems to be the only barrier to finding out for sure. And it appears it’s not even an issue of money — rather, it’s an arbitrary rule that prevents the VA from covering the cost of treatment plans that have not been approved by the FDA. This is a rule put in place by Congressional decree. And if Congress has put this rule in place, it can remove it — or at least provide a way to prevent such rules from needlessly obstructing access to life-saving treatments.

No doubt you are aware that the VA has had difficulties providing the coverage and care that our honored veterans have earned for serving the United States. This is one case where bureaucratic difficulties can mean the difference between life and death.

Thank you for your service in Congress, and thank you for your time and attention in this matter.

Not sure of your congressional district or who your member is? This service will assist you by matching your ZIP code to your congressional district, with links to your member’s website and contact page